On Wednesday 7 January 2009 the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) was officially opened in Ireland, in the presence of the Irish President Mary McAleese and the Northern Ireland Minister for Education, Caitriona Ruane, in a most impressive launch ceremony, at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in Dublin.
Robert Hill announcing the official opening of the UN's International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Ireland, while being warmly congratulated by the Northern Ireland Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane
Click on the above images to see more photographs from the event.
Thursday 8 January saw the launch of another two International Year of Astronomy highlights in Ireland. Professor Michael Redfern, Director of the Centre for Astronomy, National University of Ireland Galway and IYA2009 Single Point of Contact, launched the Faulkes Telescope Universe Challenge. This is a competition for students to undertake astronomy projects using the state of the art 2 metre telescopes in Hawaii and Australia. The prize, very generously sponsored by the European Southern Observatory, even though Ireland is not a member, is a trip to see the worldтАЩs largest telescope in Chile.
People present at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition were the first ever to see the 3D presentation "The Universe, Yours to Discover". There is also a New Digital Stardome show to be seen, with Blackrock Castle Observatory staff in collaboration with Armagh Planetarium, an European Southern Observatory exhibition in the Astronomy zone and outside the Royal Dublin Society arena there is the large outdoor astronomy exhibition тАЬFrom the Earth to the UniverseтАЭ, the first of this kind to be seen in Ireland.
A programme of events is being organised by the Irish Node of IYA2009: professor Michael Redfern, Robert Hill and Dr Miruna Popescu from Armagh Observatory. The activities will involve the major science centers: Armagh Planetarium, Blackrock Castle Observatory and the Science Gallery in Dublin, as well as science universities and amateur astronomy clubs from the whole island of Ireland. Further information can be found throughout the year at the IYA2009-Ireland website: http://astronomy2009.ie.
The main sponsors for the events of the International Year of Astronomy in Ireland are Discover Science & Engineering, the European Southern Observatory and BT.